vnion with him haue a perfect wisedome and are in him perfectly wise Let vs therefore esteeme our selues others more or lesse wise as we are more or lesse partakers of that high and infinite wisedome and therein especially let vs striue for Supereminence If in this litle and narrow knowledge of man wee only excell others it may bee a iust ground of cōtempt against our selues rather then a reason of that pride which is commonly assumed and imployed in despising others For those whom this humane wisedome despiseth may haue an assured Right in the Diuine wisedome which in the foolishnesse thereof is wiser then the wisest of men and which being wise approoues her children for the most wise for iustifying of her and which finally shall raise vp her meanest children in so true an image of God that in regard of their new vnderstanding the Schoole-taught knowledge euen of old Doctors shall bee ashamed of the name of knowledge and shall appeare to bee but as the rudiments of children Let Christ therefore be the wisedome by which mankinde should be especially measured and valued so shall the iudging of them be according to truth not outward appearance we shall iudge the iudgement of God and not of man 13 If any man haue done some excellent worke by wit learning or valour we ascend presently from the excellencie of the worke to the excellencie of the worker imagining him to be a fountaine wherof his work is but a streame and wee earnestly desire to see the more excellent cause of so excellent an effect This is the ordinary course of naturall Men yet is there a most notable and incomprehensible worke the worke that containeth all humane workes yea man himselfe and this worke is daily seene but few ascend from the worke to consider the worker and much fewer desire to see him and fewest of all wonder that they doe not desire Surely to a rectified soule it is a great wonder that for Atchieuements small in comparison of this great one wee should looke vp with loue admiration to their cause but for this huge worke we should not lift vp our eyes and desires to the cause thereof which indeed comprehendeth causeth all other causes But againe the same soule ceaseth to wonder when it lookes on the fall of man for therin it sees mans chiefest corruption was in that fleshly wisedome which hath blinded vs to the Creator makes vs broad-sighted to the creature which hath put the head of a beast into the heart of a man and makes him looke downward with the beasts from the maker to things made But it is our part to vnhood our selues as much as we may from this vizard of wisedome and to iudge of things according to cleare truth not blinde opinion Let vs pursue truth as long as it lasteth not so long only as our muffled vnderstanding doth naturally and easily follow and apprehend it In this course of outgoing nature yet let vs set our first foote in her owne pathe So on her ground we fasten this that the Author is more excellent then the worke the cause then the effect and therefore if it be pleasant or glorious to see and know the worke and effect it is farre more pleasant glorious to see the cause and author himselfe But whereas grouelling nature applies this rule only to these lower things we knowing that the truth thereof proceeds further yea reacheth especially to the cause of causes let vs out-strip nature and follow this truth vntill it leade vs into an amazing wonder a feruent loue a longing desire to see that great producer of all excellent workes that infinite being from whom all this masse of Creation hath his Being and who as farre exceedeth in wisedome power and glory the created wisedome power and glory as an infinite and indeterminable cause may effects finite and determined 14 If God haue reuealed a truth to vs which hath bin long concealed let vs not seeke to haue our selues proclaimed as the fountaines of that truth nor draw followers to our selues but to it and by it to God For God is the Author and fountaine of all truth and of the reuelation of truth and so the truth found is Gods and the finding of the truth appertaines to the grace of God Therefore let vs desire to get glory to him to whom the glory indeede belongs And humbly thanking God that among many of his excellent seruants hee hath vouchsafed to vse vs in the reuealing of it let vs steale away our own names if we may from the honour thereof leauing the whole glory to the name of God whose worke it is If thus we draw men to the truth by the truth vnto God not to Paul or Cephas but vnto Christ this seeking of gods glory with the losse of our owne will God reward with infinite glorie whereas the setting vp of our selues in Gods stead the iealous God will punish with extreame torments as most odious idolatry Yet euen in this life to such humble seers doth honour belong though not the honour of fountaines yet the honour of cesternes euen the honour due to such as God honours by committing to them his oracles and secrets And euen to their humility belongeth honour for humility is Gods way to preferment which though it takes away the value of our selues to our selues yet as an excellent grace it ought to increase the same value in the sight of others as it doth in the sight of God 15 When there comes any pleasure to be lost or paine to bee suffered for Gods sake let vs set vp a balance in our hearts in one scale let vs set the temporal pleasure we lose and in the other the eternall pleasure we gaine by this losse and wee shall see the weight of this latter to bee infinitely exceeding So likewise for paine let vs set the temporall paine in one balance and the eternal in the other and wee shall see there also the weight of eternal paine farre to exceed that of the temporall Now if we vse but our ordinarie iudgement of good things to chuse the greatest and of euils to chuse the least we shal presently consent with the losse of temporall pleasure to procure eternal ioy and with the enduring of temporall paine to auoide paine eternall especially since with the auoiding of that eternall torment the exceeding weight of ioy is ioyntly procured 16 There is a great craft of Satan which passeth too much vnmarked or vnresisted and this it is That he seekes by all meanes to keepe his owne kingdome whole and vndeuided and to diuide by schismes and contentions the kingdome and body of Christ that by the malice of such contentions the flocke of Christ may bite one another and consequently deuoure one another and so doe Satans busines for him But it behoueth Christians to note this his cunning and with detestation to beware that they be not Satans in struments nor become those mad members
the new life we ascribe glory to him for our Election for our Iustification for our Regeneration which are the maine works of our saluation and are the ioynt-workes of the vndiuided Trinitie But yet we can follow this truth no farder then it goes before vs. Therfore when we come to regeneration there must we stop and looke no further for saluation for therein is our saluation accomplished and all the parts thereof perfected If after we will goe on to workes as to further causes of our saluation we goe beyond the truth being past the God-head and come vnto man For though it may be said that God worketh these workes in man yet man ioyneth therein with God Now the saluation of man is deriued into man from God alone and is then absolute and full in parts whē Election Iustification and Regeneration the absolute and only workes of the Trinity haue wrought vpon him For regeneration hauing put into man the seede of God which is the seede of life Man is then translated from death to life and hauing begotten him the Sonne of God hee is then the heire of promised glory and eternitie Indeed works comming after the state and right of life and glorie their goodnesse as it comes from God so it shall be rewarded by God increasing the degrees of that glory wherein before we had an vndeniable property and title Therefore works adde not a new part of saluation but only increase the issues and fruit of a part formerly possessed Accordingly doth the Diuine song of that rauished soule orderly declare Gods sauing of vs from our enemies to goe before our seruing of God in holinesse all the daies of our life So workes themselues are placed as fruits of our saluation and therefore the glory giuen to workes is but as the fruite of the fruite of saluation But why then shall it be said Come yee blessed for ye fed mee and blessed are they that keepe the commandements that their right may bee in the tree of Life So that good works seeme to iustifie and saue in the day of iudgement Herein comparisons may inlighten though not prooue If a man haue a wife of a suspected life whose many children when the dying husband calleth before him hee saith to those that liuely represent him Come to mee the true sonnes of Mee your Father you truely resemble mee therefore to you shall bee giuen the inheritance of your Father Here for their countenance and proportion is the inheritance adiudged to them yet is it not for that indeed giuen them but because thereby they are iudged to be sonnes for which Son-ship the inheritance is verily giuen them So doth God in his great iudgement he will iudge men to bee his sonnes by their good workes it being impossible that good works can come from any cause but Regeneration and for the regenerate sonnes was the kingdome of glorie long agone prepared euen by that election which was before the world So the word For doth not still imply the cause it selfe but sometimes an inseparable signe annexed to the cause as if it should be said My sonnes are heires of my kingdome those which are my sonnes and they only bring forth the works of loue these workes haue I seene in you therefore do I acknowledge you to bee my sonnes enter into your Fathers ioy 28 There are two things without in the word which witnesse it to bee excellent aboue nature A supernaturall truth and a supernaturall holinesse There are also two supernaturall things within a Christian which ioyne their inward witnessing to the outward A supernaturall inlightning to acknowledge and beleeue this truth and a supernaturall vertue changing the will into a conformity with this holinesse So in the mouth of many witnesses standeth firme the truth of diuine truth 29 Man and the earth are growne wilde by the fall of Adam both bring foorth weedes of their owne nature But as the earth is cured by husbandrie good seed so by the regeneration of Christ the chiefe husbandman and the seede of the word man is brought into a fruitfull nature and hath a remedy for the first Adam by the last Blessed be the word which is God and reuerenced and desired be the word of that Word which is of God for of them is our life and health 30 As a man in his first conuersion yeelded himselfe into a generall submission vnto the spirit so must hee doe in euery particular action and then most resolutely when sin tempteth most strongly our selues Wee made our couenant at first for the whole and continually we must performe the parts of the promised whole When we gaue our selues to the spirit of dead branches to be made liuely branches withall inclusiuely we gaue our selues to bring forth the continuall fruite of liuing branches which is done by a continuall sucking of life from the spirit which quickneth vs. Now if we rest contented onely with our first ingrafting though the Almightinesse of him whose seed is immortall and who wil not faile of his end may preserue vs aliue yet do we what wee may to kill our selues and to falsifie our couenant with him who therefore beeing offended will chastise vs with temporall iudgements and desertions and will shew that when hee is angry he is a consuming fire But let the true sonnes keepe neere to their father let them keepe close to his spirit moouing at euery motion of it and filling the wants in their Lampes with the continuall oyle thereof for this spirit is our very life and the witnesse thereof By our generall resignation this life entred and by particular resignation this life increaseth so the more we sow to this spirit the more we shal reape of life eternal Again as a mā in his great main conuersion from a sinner guilty to a sanctified and iustified man goeth ouer himself in general with y t iudgement of the Law whereby finding himselfe a man of death he flieth vnto Christ who baptizeth him from his guilt and sinfulnesse by his Bloud and Spirit giuing both his actuall righteousnes and the spirits habitual righteousnesse so after the committing of euery particular sin we shold go ouer it with a particular iudgment of y e Law wherby acknowledging it to be a worke of death wee should flie to a particular applicatiō of the great Baptisme that so putting away the particular guilt of that sinne by the washing of Christs blood and the particular vncleannesse of that sinne by the washing of Christs Spirit we which before were generally clensed and iustified may also haue a particular and continual clensing and iustification For our inward and outward Baptisme though at once performed is of continual vse and daily wee must haue a recourse thereto to wit by the outward remembring and passing to the inward that the stocke of iustification and sanctification at first imparted may be daily applied and distributed to our particular necessities And thogh being in Christ we
farre that we feele not the power thereof yet our vnion still remaineth with him and wee are not parted from Christ though his vertue somewhat depart from vs wee are grounded on the Rocke and hell gates cannot preuaile against vs we are one with life and life cannot wholly forsake vs. Yea after desertions when God hath drawne vs to giue him the glory which is his owne and so instructed and bettered vs by his chastisements for punish vs meerely hee will not because wee are his sonnes hee addeth to this benefit another euen an increase of grace beyond the old bounds So that though out of our selues he giues vs humiliation yet from our vnion with him he giueth vs exaltation that he which glorieth may glorie in the Lord and that hee which wanteth may seeke him onely who onely filleth the hungrie with goodnesse 55 Death at y e diuels first bringing in of it was a fearfull punishment cutting off man from all ioy and comfort But when God in his mercy annexed infinite and euerlasting ioies vnto death death became then aduantage and that an especiall one as being the gate of eternall happinesse But the naturall man seeing onely with naturall eies beholdeth therfore only the sensible and visible comforts of this life not knowing the second ioyes wherfore his desire being bounded with his knowledge resteth onely in them and accordingly he accounts death a chiefly miserable feareful thing by which he must be depriued of such ioyes But the spirituall man by the spirituall eye of faith which the other hath not discerning spirituall things beholdeth euidently the infinite endles ioyes which are in the glorious presence of the highest happines euen God the Creator and valuing them according to the ods of their worth hee longeth after them he thirsteth to inioy them hee accounteth death that which it is euen a great aduantage as that which doth not take away life altogether from a Christian man but most happily changeth it turning a life fraile miserable and sinfull into a life mortall secure holy and happie And as that which doth not take away ioy but changeth it turning the impure narrow and the interrupted ioyes which here we take in the creatures into a pure vnbounded incessant ioies in God the Creator Now herein is the great difference betweene a naturall man and a Christian. The naturall man is in bondage while he liueth for feare of death hee goes on casting an eye still on this vizard as a thing of terror affrightmēt he is troubled with the darknesse of not being the fearefull shadow of death But the true Christian is bold as a Lion hee treadeth vpon death as hauing lost the sting by which it may kill vnto a second death he gladly makes vse of it willingly giuing himself to it as to a messēger of God which comes to fetch him from earth to heauen from miserie to felicitie from the workes of the sixe daies which could not blesse their daies to that blessed rest of the Maker of those workes which rest blessed the seuenth day it being indeed blessednesse it selfe and there being no other blessednesse but it selfe Be it therefore the high priuiledge of the Christian to enioy death to reioyce in it to account it the dore of felicitie And that euery Christian may make vse of this priuiledge this must also be the practise of a Christian euen often with the eie of faith cleared by prayer and meditation to behold the ioyes which are at the right hand of God euen the glory of the new Ierusalem whereof God is the Sunne For as much as we se it so much shall we see it to surmount all worldly ioy and as much as we see it to surmount so much shall our desire to it surmount our desire to the world and finally so much greater shal be our loue of death as our desire to that ioy is greater Wherefore if thou louest death but a litle thy sight of that ioy is but little but see it more thy affection to death shal be more If nature run to the eie and eare to draw thee to life run thou to the word spirit to draw thee to heauen These will shew thee more reason why to desire God thē flesh can why to loue this life But thou likest as thou saist the bargaine well and dost account it gainfull exchange but thou likest not the means death is painful and thou art not cōtented to be happy by paine Surely sicknes is paine but death absolutely in it self seemes not to be paine For the setting of a ioint is many times more paine then death by a consumption The conuulsions which appeare are cōmonly from the strife of nature with diseases but death followeth vsually after nature is ouercome and then life goes out gently like a consumed taper But if it must be cōfessed that there is paine in the sicknesse of death or in death it self get thou again into the spirit yet shalt thou see that death is aduātage Al the suffrings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shal be reuealed For the weight of y t ioy is an exceeding weight and ouerweyes farre all temporall and momentany affliction Therefore if by lesser weight of temporall griefe thou purchase y e exceeding weight of eternall ioy thou art yet a great gainer thou hast made a most profitable exchange thou maist yet reioyce and goe gladly through paine vnto a surpassing happines Go thou therefore and follow the patterne of our faith Christ Iesus who for the ioy set before him endured the crosse despised the shame Follow the seruants of Christ who reioyced in tribulations and went ioyfully through all persecutions scourgings stonings burnings and death it selfe vnto that glory which is aboue Yea let vs say with the seruants of God If God commanded vs yet a greathing should we not doe it for the end shall aboundantly recompence the way the end which is happines the way which is griefe and the way passeth away but y e end is endles endures for euer Let vs go on therefore hopefully and chearefully through al sorrowes bitternesses limited transitory vnto happines large without end or bound solid without lightnes continuing without cessation let y e sight of this felicity counterpoise yea ouerwey with comfort the trouble imparted by the feeling of griefe 56 A main cause of much of the griefe and folly of men is this That men resolue to make something of this world They raise great plots vpon it and intend to bring it into a Method and out of things so ordered to draw some great happines and contentment But God hath resolued the contrary to make nothing of the world but to turne it into vanity of vanities he hath set it forth as a thing to be shaken to be remooued to resolue with the lost fire and only to be a schole and nurcery for the next world Therefore doth hee
action had not come to passe whereas we should reason this If this action had not beene appointed to come to passe these effectual meanes had not falne out Then run we to see the true cause of things euen to Gods prouidence and purpose which to the godly is a sure rest and refuge since therby al euents must turne to the best to Gods children though effected by the malice and wickednesse of men For this purpose of God is rooted in Loue and loue purposeth all for the good of that which it loueth so through whatsoeuer kinde of actions it passeth it still remaineth one vnchangeable bringing forth stedfastly fruit proportionable to the roote of loue Gods purpose cannot be hindered or altered by men but passeth along conquering and preuailing vnchanged it selfe and changing all things to it selfe and it owne goodnesse So Shimei his cursing might produce a blessing to Dauid and Iudas treason did procure the saluation of mankinde 59 Consisting of Parts 1. Part. It is a strange thing that in this broad day light any man should stumble at the Popes supremacy in spirituall much lesse in temporall matters If with the Apostles wee will but testifie what we see we on whom the truth clearely shineth cannot chuse but see that this supremacy is a thing much yonger then the Christian Religion which prospered before it was and that much better then since Religion was put out to nurse vnto it If we will begin with Christ Christ equally endoweth his Apostles with power of binding and loosing and equally appoints al nations vnto them If Christ should haue said That on Peter he would build his Church which he speaketh of him only who only is the Rock 1. Cor. 10. yet Peter answering for all should receiue this in the behalfe of all for whom hee answered For since it was forbidden to all of thē to tell who Christ was it seemes all ioyned with Peter in the knowledg and confession of Christ and so all had interest in the benefit of that knowledge and confession Againe if at that time it should only haue beene spoken only to Peter wee haue another Scripture which equalleth the other Apostles with him euen in the building of the Church while it sayeth the Church is built vpon the foundation of the Apostles so that the Apostles are ioyned together promiscuously not differently towards the making vp of the foundation Besides Paul plainely answereth that he is not a whit inferiour to the chiefest of the Apostles that he had of Peter the right hand of fellowship not of inferiority which most cuts off the Pope from claiming vs who are Gentiles by Peter and turnes him ouer to fetch his especiall claime by Paul Paul saith that the Apostleship of the circumcision or Iewes was committed to Peter and of the Gentiles especially to him To this Eusebius giues his testimony saying that Peter though cōming among the Gentiles yet preached only to the Iewes withall brings forth his first Epistle as that which was directed particularly to his own charge the Iewes And this indeede best fitteth with the History which reporteth that Peter and Paul exercised their Apostleships together at Rome which might most orderly be performed if the one taught there the Circumcisiō the other the Gentiles Therefore let the Pope take heed how he robs Paul to giue vnto Peter for hee robbes his best title to giue to his worse but hereafter let him find some new exposition of building the Church so vpon Peter that Paul also may haue a great part in the foundation wheron the Church is built Now if we descend from the Apostles betweene whome if there be any oddes in right to vs it appeares to be on Paules side to examine whether any such supremacy descended from among them to the succeeding ages wee shall finde none in diuers hundred years The church of Rome indeede was a famous Church founded by the Apostles flourishing with godly Bishops and Martyrs and full of Saints and therefore by many holy men great and large titles were giuen to her and her Bishops in letters and writings So might shee for the eminencie thereof be called the first Church or the chiefest Church and the Bishops the Bishops of the chiefest Church but a meane vnderstāding knows there is great oddes betweene being first in order and a head in gouernment And this the practise of those times plainly declared for though they had giuen neuer so many good words to the Bishops and Church of Rome yet as soone as the Bishop of Rome intermedled with their gouernment they presētly rose vp against him so did Cyprian yea a councell of African Bishops and among them Saint Austin walled vp their countrey from the command of the Romane Bishops Euen in the very matter of excommunication wherein is the pretented eminēce of their power Irenaeus a Bishop of France the Popes neighbour reprooued Victor a Bishop of Rome for excōmunicating the Churches of Asia vpon the obseruation of Easter And when Constantinus vniustly checked Liberius the Bishop of Rome for maintaining the cause of Athanasius with these words How great a part of the world art thou that thou alone shouldest iustifie a wicked man and trouble the peace of the world neither Constantinus acknowledged any supremacy in Liberius neither did Liberius in his answer though hee had occasion giuen to tell how great and Catholike a head hee was thereby iustifie his doings To conclude for particulars are infinite and this matter is commonly handled at length by a councel Christendome was committed to fiue Patriarches of Rome Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem of which Rome was the first but had no more authoritie ouer the rest then the second had ouer the third the authoritie of no one being subalterne or subiect to other And the proportionable practise of diuers of these Patriarches yet standing giueth hereunto confirmation But the same corruption of mans nature which in a clowne stirreth vp an ambitious desire to be a gentleman of a gentleman to become a nobleman and of a nobleman to become a king being in a Pope as much as in other men hath wrought the same effect in him that it hath in others And so from being a Patriarch he hath laboured to bee the head of the Patriarches that is an vniuersall Patriarch and from being and vniuersall Patriarch to be an vniuersall Emperour So Ambition still ascends making one degree of honor but a stayre whereon to mount it selfe vp to another and by this meanes at length hee is come to that all-comprehending toppe wherin he meetes iust with the title prepared for him by Saint Paul As God in the temple of God aboue al that is called God But he must remember that thereunto are annexed these two other titles the man of sin and the sonne of perdition 2. Part. These things beeing so euident most lamentable it is that there should bee plotted and deuised an ignorance so grosse that it
raised If they haue done all it is a shame wee should not doe something wee should rather bee glad though not of the cause yet of this effect that there is matter left for our charitie to expresse it selfe in this kind and to let blind deuotion know that if our ancestors had not founded such spiritual maintenance it might and should yet haue bin done by vs. There are many godly deuout persons who haue in these daies of light made and increase dwellings portions for the bodies of the poore and needy Excellent indeed is this worke it is a blessed thing to giue and blessed are they that feede the hungrie and clothe the naked But yet of all Almes houses the spiritual Almes-house is the best and Paul that willeth you to desire the best gifts would haue you vse your gifts to the best aduantage Wherefore I shew you a more excellent way As the soule is infinitely better then the bodie and life eternall then life present so the food of the soule is farre better then that of the body and the sauing of the spirituall life better then the preseruation of the temporall life If thou giuest to the body thou dost well but thou giuest to that which shall die but if thou giue to the soule thou dost better for thou giuest to that which by thy gift may liue for euer in happines and make the body liue for euer in the same blisse with it If thou giue naturall bread thou dost well but thou giuest that which perisheth with the vsing but thou most resemblest Christ thy head and giuest the best Almes when thou giuest the bread of heauen What a comfortable and ioyfull thing to thy soule and heart will it be to see a whole Congregation fed on Gods holy day with thy Almes to see many soules receiuing saluation as it were from thy hand to heare many blesse glorifie God for his gifts to thee thine to them yea to blesse thee therefore in the name of the Lord Surely such ioy is infinitely better sounder and fuller of waight then the ioy of mony corne and oyle but the ioy that God shall giue thee in the great marriage day in the day of the gladnes of thy heart in that day will againe infinitely exceed this Thē shal Christ say vnto thee come thou blessed of my Father for when I was hungry naked and cold in the very soule of my little ones thou diddest buy Manna long white robes fire of the Altar to feede cloth warme me thou gauest the best gifts and which most nearely and inwardly cherish me therefore shalt thou haue the best reward come and sit nearest vnto me But if some backeward withdrawing hearts in whome God hath no delight put this grace and glory from themselues by a perswasion that this businesse concernes them not but that euery horse should beare his owne burthen and each congregation maintaine a Preacher for themselues Let them know that naturall men not vsed to instruction for want of it haue no desire to it Things not known are vnsought much lesse will a naturall man part from things knowne for things vnknowne It is the propertie of teaching to make men desire to be taught expect not then this desire from them which haue not the meanes to attaine it the sweetnesse of the word must be first sounded in their eares before they will loue the sound thereof it must teach them the worth of it selfe before they will part from any of their worth for it He must be partly or wholly a spirituall man that hungers for spirituall foode vnto the losse of his temporall substance and how shall many such be expected where the word by which the spirit entereth hath not bin fitly opened vnto them Therefore if thou wilt haue them doe for themselues do thou something first though but a little for them whereby they may heare the word And then it is likely the word heard will make way for it selfe and perswade for increase of maintenance for it perswades the truly sanctified to a farre greater degree euen to fell all to giue life all for the Treasure of happinesse Christ Iesus whome lying more closely in the Cabinet of the word preaching deliuers vnto vs opened and displaied in full glorie and Lustre Yea it may bee by the word so communicated by thee there wil be some prouoked to doe that for others which thou hast done for them and so a generation of goodnesse may bee continued of which thou hast beene the father and a chaine of good works may be lengthned of which the first linke framed by thee is both the beginning and cause Hereunto may be added this other reason of forrein helpe That such places beare already as great a burden without the benefite of preaching as others do that haue it Wherfore that Saint Pauls rule of equity may bee obserued which will not haue some eased to haue others doubly grieued and that rule of Charity Beare yee one anothers burden it is fit that the burthen of such places should be deuided among many so to take away the griefe of surcharging by an equalitie and to ease the weight of the burthen by deuiding it with others 5. Part. As these great blowes of Satan haue afflicted the Ministery in these latter times so doe daily buffets lesser pinchings of the seruants of Satan follow and persecute continually the same Ministerie His plot and his hatred still are one though the limitation of his power by Gods ouer-ruling suffer him not at all times to bring forth like effects He is God be praised tied vp somewhat from appropriating of spirituall liuings yet what he cannot get in a rent hee striues to obtaine in a fine The Patron that cannot haue the yearely profit must haue a grosse summe in consideration of it and a scholler hauing spent much of his portion spirits and time in studie to make himselfe worthie of a place in the Church yet after must he studie for sureties or readie mony to throw into the mouth of Cerberus euen of these porters of hell that they stoppe not his way into the deserued Benefice And this also is a vertue if they will bestow it in this kinde of bestowing on a man able and sufficient for if such a one bee not very neere as finable as a meere dumbe and vnlearned fellow sufficiency shall bee bought out profitable ignorance shall be preferred before edifying knowledge The great God Mammon must chuse the Priest that fitteth him best the greatest truest God whose Priest is thoght thē to be choosing hath least to do in y t choise But ô thou Marchant of hel Factor for Satā know y t cursed is thy mony with thee thy mony is the price of Soules euen of spirituall blood the life of spirits Thou hast for that summe giuen ouer so many soules to Satan thou hast giuen their throats to the Butcher and thou hast done
not the men euill that did them It were pittie that men should go to work this way with Dauid and onely iudge of him by his murder and adulterie but it rather becomvs to see whether his course of life being different from his fact do not manifestly prooue that these sinnes were of infirmitie of sinne cleauing to him not reigning in sinne And in this point should euery man be the milder for as it is said commonly in other matters it is euery mans cause this mans to day and thine to morrow And though thou sweare with Peter that if al the world deny Christ thou wilt not denie him yet I wil neuer beleeue thee no more then Christ did Peter for in many things we sinne all and as the Apostles said We are also men subiect to the same infirmities Part 9. But if these cautions wil not yet moderate the sauages of this world as indeed a foole though braied in a mortar will not grow wise Yet O thou man of God whosoeuer thou art that sufferest for Christs sake binde this rebuke to thine head for a crowne and reioice that thou art such a one as the diuell and his followers hate for hee cannot be but good whom the diuell hateth Reioyce when men speake all euill of thee falsely and know thou art now a brother of Christ and his Saints in tribulation and in the kingdome for if thou suffer with him thou shalt also bee glorified with him The spirit whose shame now thou bearest shall hereafter cause thee to beare his glorie and the more shame for his sake the more glorie So shall these Balaams whose hearts are so ready to curse the people of God be the very meanes to procure a blessing vnto them For so many curses so many blessings therfore if there were no offēce to God nor hurt nor pittie to themselues we might well suffer them to curse apace for they curse vs as fast to glorie Part. 10. From Christs time place is approoued by truth not truth by place Hee that freed true worship from being tied to Ierusalem and tied it to the seruice in spirit which may be in all places gaue true religiō a large scope euen as large as the world it selfe Therefore Ierusalem being broken vp and true worship being set free into the whole world let not Rome seeke to captiue her againe and tie her to the chaine thereof for they that worship in spirit and truth haue God pleased with them though such worship bee in places that know not Rome to bee on earth 74 The Word of God is an vndefiled Word rightnes it selfe and therefore the most perfect rule Let therefore sinfull men frame their liues to it not seeke as many doe to frame it to their liues and so to sinne by the authoritie of righteousnes And let fraile and falling man though many of them thinke they be the Church not trie this VVord by themselues whether it bee right or not but by the VVord trie whether they bee right euen the right and true Church which is knowne by this that they heare Christs voice and walke according to this rule of Christ Galathians 6. 16. 75 Silly and foolish is the pride that any man takes in his seruice toward God For first the whole man being from God wee can giue him out of man nothing but his own Againe the whole man being due to God there can returne no good thing from man to God but what is his due Thirdly it is Gods free choise that vouchsafeth to vse thy seruice who refuseth the imploiment of many men excellent in naturall abilities Certainly we haue seene many such of great hope turned into earth before any or small vse of thē God Al-sufficient who can raise vp seruants of stones thus often sheweth that men haue need of God and his choise to doe him any good seruice but hee needeth not them Therefore let vs rather thanke God then boast before him if he imploy vs in his seruice Let vs with humilitie readily performe it as to that great Lord who hath refused infinite better to be serued by vs and whom therefore to serue is a happines priuiledge of ours frō him not a benefit of ours to him 76 Many seuerall women were made for many seueral men if many had bin allotted to one there would haue bin fewer of the masculine sexe for euen among heardsmen this rule is obserued But now there is a kind of equality in number that euery one might haue his mate diuidedly without diuiding with another And this which was indeed best was first for then there being but one woman to one man the sin which is now vnlawfull was then vnpossible What bare necessitie was to man by creation let necessarie obedience vnto God bee to the children of regeneration whose speciall vertue is to auoide the ill which may be done Surely as running after lust beyond this one is endlesse in regard of satisfaction so hath it a bad end in regard of retribution euen tormented old age that it can sinne no more and eternall death for hauing so much sinned 77 When a man is possessed by any lust be it of couetousnesse concupiscence or the like there is set vp an image in him though not a grauen one which is to him a God This image wholly filleth his minde to it he committeth idolatry for he offereth his whole heart in sacrifice to it and if he can obtaine the thing therin represented he accounteth himselfe happy as in the obtaining of God Such an image was there in Ahab of Naboths vineyard and such a one of Bathsheba in Dauid But let vs take heede of this worship of images for it is but a vaine shadow which steppeth into to the place of God It telleth vs of happinesse but it selfe obtained goeth into nothing robs vs of true happinesse Let vs rub out therefore the print thereof with prayer and holy meditations filling vp our hearts with profitable and eternall truthes to keepe out these dying and killing vanities let nothing posses our hearts but God himselfe who will one day glorifie the place wherein he dwels and make it looke like a temple of God And surely nothing but God is worthy of a man 78 God is the cause of all under-vnder-causes and of all effects in him is the fulnesse of all things the spring of all beings This world is a determinate measure of his effects The naturall life at the best is but a certaine number of these effects during a certaine peece and limit of time But the spirituall life caused by our vnion with God is an euerlasting and infinite enioying of the infinite cause of all things Hereby shall wee finde the Christian to bee most perfectly happie who possesseth all things in their cause and beyond al things that are shall enioy the cause it selfe Infinite is the difference betweene wisedome the cause and wisedome the effect light the cause and light the effect loue the
from sinning shine as the starres in heauen the blessing of him that hath receiued instruction from thee shall bee vpon thee and thou shalt haue an especiall part in that welcome of Christ in the day of Christ Come thou blessed of my Father for when I was hungrie and imprisoned in my mēbers pining for want of knowledge and fettered with ignorance thou didst enlarge mee thou didst feede and increase me But if the spirituall lawyers shall not be so diligent to search and set forth Cases of Conscience as the secular Lawyers are to publish Cases of transitorie and temporall right let them expect to haue a chiefe part in that curse of Christ Woe be to you Lawyers for ye withhold the key of knowledge ye either enter not your selues or you do not helpe those that would to enter 87 The man who intends deseruedly to get the name of a Christian hath vndertaken a worke called mortification a denying of vngodly lusts euen a dying to sin that he may liue in the spirit of Christ. He that purposeth the end must likewise intend the meanes els his purpose is not effectual and is not indeed a purpose of the end Now if hee seriously intend to vse the meanes a speciall part of that meanes will bee a true search and notice of the lustes which he must denie and chiefly of the chiefest which excell in force or in height of corruption For this must he looke into the nature of man in generall into the nature of the men of that countrie or place where he dwelles and into the custome which is also a nature of men at that time when he liues and especially into the mā which is himself This being done let him take the rule of the law lay it on mā thus distinctly cōsidered he shal find both wherein lust hath bowed mankind in general from that rule wherein eminently especially men of that country men of that time and wherein his owne hart And this being found he hath then his worke before him he sees what hee must generally denie and what parts of the generall with his chiefest strength he must resist and what he thinkes fit to resist himself let him also prouoke others to resist the same If wee make not this search at all lust may come to our harts not known to be lust but in the shape of righteousnes or at least couered by custome frō appearing to be vnrighteousnes and so may be admitted If wee make this search and that but general we may indeed find al vices and so may bee mooued to make a general resistance to al. But yet if we make not a different resistance that is more setled strong against the stronger such as are those of our nation time person by not matching them wee our selues are ouermatched and so ouer maistered This knowledge as it is in it selfe necessarie so it may be knowne to be such because our mercifull God by a long succession of Prophets taught and imparted it to man Hee sent early and late his faithfull messengers to tell Iacob his sinnes and Israel his transgressions to disswade the wicked that he turne from his wickednesse and liue And as those Watchmen of God marked the accesse and inroade of sinnes to giue warning both to thēselues and others that they should not perish in the deluge of vices so should there be a perpetuall watch kept by the Saints and seruants of God ouer themselues and others that they may not bee ignorant of Satans policies that the Foxes bee taken betimes which destroy the Vineyard and that all leauen of errours or maliciousnesse may be purged as soone as mixed And indeed what worke doth more profitablie imploy the skilful master-builders and edifiers then the finding and repairing of the ruines of the Citie of God That is building indeede to bring a stone into a decaied place not to fill vp that which is already full That is most properly fortifying which giues strength to the place that needeth it not to that which is alreadie safe wherefore let both Prophets and people labour herein vntill time shal be no more that the breaches of Ierusalem may bee both found and repaired that the enemie bee kept out at his places of aduantage that Satan may haue no new engin but that there may be a defence readie against it vntill our Lord Iesus the founder and foundation of his Church appeare Who now building by the Ministerie of his Prophets will then commend and exalt those that haue been the wise and faithfull builders and will lift vp the whole Citie once perfectly built into the safetie and blessednesse of his owne presence for euer and euer The Spirit and the Bride say Come euen so come Lord Iesus AN ALPHABETICALL TABLE OF all the Meditations that are contained in this Booke A THe benefite of Aduersitie 26 Against Ambition 36 The true guiding of Affections 38 B MAn is to learn of Beasts The excellence of new Birth in respect of the old 20 A continuall vse of the outward and inward Baptisme 30 C A Christians progresse 44 Euill Customes to bee abolished 52 Confutation of Chance 58 Proofes of Christian religion 57. 69 Against Couetousnesse 72 Christ not to be loued for temporall ends 84 An exhortation to the writing of Cases of conscience 86 The Creature should direct vs to the Creator 3 D AGainst Despaire 54. 9 To loue Death 55. 31 The Diuell in the last times most to be resisted 63 Against Diuisions and scismes 16 Against Distrustfulnesse 22 The cause of mans endlesse Desires 33 E TO auoid Extremities 7 F TRue friends 42 Dutie to the Fatherlesse 66 The veriest foole hee that sets his wit and heart most on the world 50 G REason of the littlenesse of Grace in the elect 57 5. Part The vse of the Gospell 70 God our All-sufficience 78 God the light of the soule 6 Not to draw followers to our selues but to God 14 God one and vnchangeable 17 God is the saluation of Man 27. and not workes H AGainst Hypocrisie 64 Of Humilitie 85. 4 The excellence of a Christians Happinesse 5 Heauenly things neglected because not seene and how to see them 25 I IVdges and iudgement 40 The foulenes of incest 43 Against spirituall Idolatrie 77 Against Images 82 K The kingdome of Satan 57 8. part Knowledge increased should increase good workes 1 Diuers knowledges of good and euill 24 The true knowledge of our selues and the vse thereof 39 L Shortnesse of life 41 The loue of God 53 The vse of the Law and the Gospell 70 To loue God aboue all things 11 13 Against lust 35 M THe right vse of Gods mercy 46 Mahumetan religion farre inferiour to the Christian. 57. 1 part Man created for another world 62 Against wicked Marriages 67 Remedies of mans Miserie 68 Contemt of the Ministerie 73 1. part Nobilitie makes not men vnfit for the Ministery 73. 2. p. The impouerishing of the Ministery 73. 3. part Remedies of the pouertie of the Ministerie 73. 4. part Comfort against present Miseries 83 N PRophanation of Gods name 51 The right vse of a good nature and comfort to an euill nature 80 Not to rest in nature 2 O OPposition of holy duties and holy men the diuels policie 48 P PResumption 54. 9 The prouidence of God the rest of man 58 Popes supremacy 59. 1. part And shifts ib. 2. part Purnesse of heart 61 The name Puritan 73. 7 Against spirituall pride 75 How to endure well the paine or the losses of pleasure 15. 37 R OF the Resurrection 57 7. part 60 Of Regeneration and vnregeneration 65 How to reade profitably 71 Resolution to be rich 72 Not to iudge rashly 73. 8. part 79 The rule and guide of a Christian 74 Against reuenge 81 S A Sanctified Soule 45 Swearing 51 The approouing of Sacrifices 57. part 4 Against Simonie 73. part 5 Reasons why Superstition may bring foorth many works 7 The Scripture vpholdeth it selfe 23 Diuers witnesses which approue the Scripture 28 T TRouble 's truly iudged and borne only by faith and the Spirit 49 How to escape tentations 18 V THe praise of Vnitie 16 W TO make vse of worldly wisedome 41. 13 How to vse the world 56 The folly of mans wisedome 57 part 3 Against whoredome 76 The chiefest wisedome is to seek God the soueraigne good 50 The excellence and necessitie of good works 1 The world much confused and disorderly but wee must be are with it and striue to amend it 10 How truely to iudge a man wise 12 The weakenesse of man sets forth the glory of God 21 How wee shall bee iudged by works 27 To beware of much intermedling with worldly things 32 FINIS
his wages might bestow his worke without any wages and get wages by the work of his hands But now the study of diuinitie challengeth the whole time of a man so that a Diuine can hardly mingle any other calling with it without iniury vnto it Therefore hauing that only function by that for that he must be sufficiently sustained so is there absolutely no hope of a cōtinual Ministery where there is not a continued maintenance Then how many waies haue these last times holpen the diuell to breake off and discontinue the Ministerie It is too wel known that the bellies of y e friers 1. began to rob both the back the belly of the Ministery And that when these theeues were arraigned conuicted the goods were not restored to the former owners thogh known so hereby many miles together haue bin turned into a spiritual wildernes spoiled of the ordinary means of sauing soules lamentable and euen a hart-breaking consideration it is to them that haue any fellow-feeling of the misery of those who lie in the bondage of Satan when they see many Churches like lampes without lights the oyle of maintenance being taken frō thē How cā a mā there preach where there is scarse bread to maintaine the strength of the voice nor clothes to keep off the cold that would choke y t voice nor means to buy a very few bookes to put matter and soule into the voices And on the other side how can the Eunuch vnderstand except there be some to expound How can they beleeue without preaching alas the liues of such places too much testifie that a naturall man is like a dog and will hardly bite at a whole loafe Yea that a man is so tastelesse of spiritual things that except he be taught to open his mouth except his stomach be stirred vp by continuall prouocations he hath no appetite to the foode of life That a sinner is so heauily asleepe in his sinnes that vnlesse he be pulled and startled and his sinne taken vp before him and the particular odiousnesse and vglinesse thereof liuely presented to his dull and vnwilling eies hee had rather die in his sleepe then awake vnto life eternall Part 4. But this disease being shewed what remedie is there for it Surely the Lord of the haruest being first intreated in heauen there seeme two remedies on earth one is Law another Conscience But how shall there be any hope in Law since it is Law that hath done the hurt Surely as a Law begotten in the times of ignorance hath hurt the Church so a Law borne in the times of knowledge may heale it Let vs shew our faith by our works and shame the workes which haue beene done without faith by exceeding them if wee haue the light of the Gospell let vs make statutes of light and not continue the lawes of darkenesse If wee feele any comfort of light in our selues let vs with our blessed Sauiour pittie them that sit in darknesse and in the shaddow of death I separate law frō conscience for though conscience bee the truest fountaine of lawes yet politicke consideration is very often the cause of them Now it is not the worst policie but indeed the best to lay a sure foundation of religion in the hearts of the people For from true religion groweth the strongest branch of obedience true religion hath wherewithall to confute treason though masked in a vizard of religion It will allow the Pope few subiects in another mans Realme It will keepe them for the right owner In summe the end of kingdomes being the Church and the end of the Church the glorie of God by faith and holinesse how doth that kingdom pierce it selfe through with many darts that suffereth this faith and holinesse the life and soule thereof to bee slaine by wickednesse and vnbeliefe Surely there is a fulnesse of sinnes which is the greatest rebellion in the world for it ouerthrowes kingdomes and le ts out Vineyards to new husbandmen This do Ieroboam and Ahab now declare and bewaile Ieroboam cursing the basenesse of his new deuised Priesthood and Ahab defying the Statutes of men it being a policie to destruction to bee politicke against God But if it be demanded whence such maintenance shold be raised Surely for worldly and temporall ends the raising of huge summes by Parliament are well impoposed and contentedly receiued is there no way to raise one summe for the God of heauen When Moses prouided for the Tabernacle there was offering euen to abundance When Dauid prouided for the Temple there were many thousand Talents offered willingly and with a perfect heart VVhy should not we much more willingly contribute toward the building not of Temples made of hands but of the liuing Temple and Church of the euerliuing God If a towne bee destroyed with fire all men take pitty on the ruine thereof and from that pittie issureth reliefe When whole Townes and Parishes are besieged with hell fire how do we not pitty succour such spirituall desolations Then let that place which made the law of substraction redeeme it by making a law of retribution and by some diuine subsidie granted to the King of heauen regaine part or all of the ancient inheritance of the Church or procure some new sustentation in the stead thereof But if mens hearts shall herein be generally hardened against God against the soules of their brethren yea against their owne saluation and denie this iust and necessarie helpe Let those that are merciful and therfore shal obtain mercy expresse this excellent vertue of him that dwelleth in them let them binde vp the woūds which the Leuits passed by let them imitate him who beheld euen them in their blood pollution and said vnto them Liue. Let cōscience remedy what law doth not the worke of God being done without by the working of God alone in mens harts within Accordingly should it bee a sweet smelling Sacrifice acceptablie ascending before the presence of God if those who are both spirituallie and temporally rich should out of their spirituall treasurie send foorth that most pretious charitie which might conuert some of their temporall and transitorie treasure to this soule-sauing end Herunto God through mee doth beseech them as inwardly no doubt he motions the same vnto them by his spirit Obedience to God and his spirit is the most excellent offring and a soule turned to God is the ioy of heauen but proportionably quenching the spirit by disobedience is a heauie sinne and too quiet suffering of the death of soules where means would giue hope of life is the gall of bitternesse and the stone of the heart Our Auncestors did set vp both Churches and Churchliuings a great and a large work was performed by them we are but to keep in reparatiō that they haue built Indeed this ouer boystrous tempest hath ouerthrowne a great piece of this building yet but a piece not by many degrees so great as that work which they